Ale Okada is a Research Fellow at the Knowledge Media Institute at the Open University, senior consultant to the Association of Science Education UK, visiting senior lecturer at the University of Sao Paulo, Brasil and the Open University of Portugal. She also leads the open research network COLEARN on collaborative open learning.

Her research through 10 projects in Europe and Brazil focuses on knowledge and social media technologies to foster Scientific Digital Literacy - future citizens embracing the potential of science and technology. She has a particular interest in innovative approaches that empower colearners to develop key competences and succeed in the 21st century. She is currently the principal investigator of ENGAGE and co-investigator of weSPOT, and collaborator in various projects: Catalyst and MK:Smart

She has supervised 10 doctoral students to successful completion including in Brazil and in Portugal. She is currently supervising two postdoctoral students and pHD students funded by CAPES & FAPESP - Brazil and FCT -Portugal. She has also been acting as an external examiner in different overseas universities.

Before joining the OU-UK, Okada worked for Brazil Government in diverse projects for teaching professional development and digital literacy. She also worked at Johnson & Johnson and IBM.

She holds a BSc in Computer Science, a MBA in Knowledge Management and Marketing, a MA and PhD in Education-Technology. Her publications comprise more than 100 papers in international conferences and academic journals, 40 book chapters and 15 books.

Keys: SCIENTIFIC DIGITAL LITERACY (Responsible Research and Innovation, Inquiry Based Learning, Smart Citizenship), COLLABORATIVE LEARNING ( Knowledge Media Technologies, Open Educational Resources and Social Networks) and COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE (knowledge mapping, mass collaboration, peer production and participatory media).